2019 Ram 3500 Owner's Manual

SAFETY 279
5. If the child restraint has a top tether strap and the seatingposition has a top tether anchorage, connect the tether
strap to the anchorage and tighten the tether strap. See the
section “Installing Child Restraints Using the Top Tether
Anchorage” for directions to attach a tether anchor.
6. Test that the child restraint is installed tightly by pulling back and forth on the child seat at the belt path. It should
not move more than 1 inch (25.4 mm) in any direction.
Any seat belt system will loosen with time, so check the belt
occasionally, and pull it tight if necessary.
If the buckle or the cinching latch plate is too close to the belt
path opening of the child restraint, you may have trouble
tightening the seat belt. If this happens, disconnect the latch
plate from the buckle and twist the short buckle-end belt up
to three full turns to shorten it. Insert the latch plate into the
buckle with the release button facing out, away from the
child restraint. Repeat steps 4 to 6, above, to complete the
installation of the child restraint.
If the belt still cannot be tightened after you shorten the
buckle, disconnect the latch plate from the buckle, turn the
buckle around one half turn, and insert the latch plate into
the buckle again. If you still cannot make the child restraint
installation tight, try a different seating position. Installing Child Restraints Using The Top Tether
Anchorage
WARNING!
Do not attach a tether strap for a rear-facing car seat to
any location in front of the car seat, including the seat
frame or a tether anchorage. Only attach the tether strap
of a rear-facing car seat to the tether anchorage that is
approved for that seating position, located behind the
top of the vehicle seat. See the section “Lower Anchors
and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH) Restraint System”
for the location of approved tether anchorages in your
vehicle.

4

280 SAFETY
Regular and Mega Cab Trucks:
In the regular cab truck, the top tether anchorages are located
behind the center and right passenger seats. In the mega cab
truck, the top tether anchorages are located behind each rear
seating position. There is a plastic cover over each
anchorage. To attach the tether strap of the child restraint:
1. Place the child restraint on the seat and adjust the tetherstrap so that it will reach over the seat back, under the
head restraint and to the tether anchor directly behind the
seat.
Regular Cab Tether Anchorages
2. Route the tether strap to provide the most direct path between the anchorage and the child seat. The tether
strap should go between the head restraint posts under -
neath the head restraint. You may need to adjust the head
restraint to the upward position to pass the tether strap
underneath the head restraint and between its posts.
1 — Tether Strap Hook
2 — Tether Strap To Child Restraint
3 — Tether Anchor

SAFETY 281
3. Lift the cover (if so equipped), and attach the hook to thesquare opening in the sheet metal. Tighten the tether
strap according to the child seat manufacturer’s instruc -
tions.
Crew Cab Trucks:
The top tether anchorages in this vehicle are tether strap
loops located between the rear glass and the back of the rear
seat. There is a tether strap loop located behind each seating
position. Follow the steps below to attach the tether strap of
the child restraint. Right Or Left Outboard Seats:
1. Raise the head restraint and reach between the rear seat
and rear glass to access the tether strap loop.
Head Restraint In Raised Position
WARNING!
Never place a rear-facing child restraint in front of an air
bag. A deploying Passenger Front Air Bag can cause
death or serious injury to a child 12 years or younger,
including a child in a rear-facing child restraint.
4

282 SAFETY
Tether Strap Loop With Center Head Restraint In Raised Position
2. Place a child restraint on the seat and adjust the tether strap so that it will reach over the seat back, under the
head restraint, through the tether strap loop behind the
seat and over to the tether strap loop behind the center
seat. 3. Pass the tether strap hook under the head restraint behind
the child seat, though the tether strap loop behind the seat
and over to the center tether strap loop.
Tether Strap Through Outboard Tether Strap Loop

SAFETY 283
4. Attach the hook to the center tether strap loop (seediagram). Tighten the tether strap according to the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.
Tether Strap Through Outboard Tether Strap Loop And Attached To Center Tether Strap Loop
NOTE:
If there are child seats in both of the outboard (left and right)
seating positions, the tether strap hooks of both child seats
should be connected to the center tether strap loop. This is
the correct way to tether two outboard child seats. Center Seat:
1. Raise the head restraint and reach between the rear seat
and rear glass to access the tether strap loop.
Tether Strap Loop With Head Restraint In Raised Position
2. Place a child restraint on the seat and adjust the tether strap so that it will reach over the seat back, under the
head restraint, through the tether strap loop behind the
seat and over to the tether strap loop behind either the
right or left outboard seat.
4

284 SAFETY
3. Pass the tether strap hook under the head restraint behindthe child seat, though the tether strap loop behind the seat
and over to the right or left outboard tether strap loop.
Tether Strap Through Center Tether Strap Loop 4. Attach the hook to the outboard tether strap loop (see
diagram). Tighten the tether strap according to the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.
Tether Strap Through Center Tether Strap Loop And At -
tached To Outboard Tether Strap Loop

SAFETY 285
Installing Three Child Restraints:
1. Place a child restraint on each outboard rear seat. Routethe tether straps following the directions for right and left
seating positions, above.
2. Attach both hooks to the center tether strap loop, but do not tighten the straps yet.
3. Place a child restraint on the center rear seat. Route the tether strap following the directions for the center seating
position, above.
4. Attach the hook to the outboard tether strap loop.
5. Tighten the tether straps according to the child seat manufacturer’s instructions, tightening the right and left
tether straps before the center tether strap. Outboard And Center Seating Positions Shown
WARNING!
• An incorrectly anchored tether strap could lead to increased head motion and possible injury to the child.
Use only the anchorage position directly behind the
child seat to secure a child restraint top tether strap.
• If your vehicle is equipped with a split rear seat, make sure the tether strap does not slip into the opening
between the seatbacks as you remove slack in the strap.
4

286 SAFETY
Transporting Pets
Air Bags deploying in the front seat could harm your pet. An
unrestrained pet will be thrown about and possibly injured,
or injure a passenger during panic braking or in a collision.
Pets should be restrained in the rear seat (if equipped) in pet
harnesses or pet carriers that are secured by seat belts.
SAFETY TIPS
Transporting Passengers

NEVER TRANSPORT PASSENGERS IN THE CARGO AREA.

Exhaust Gas
The best protection against carbon monoxide entry into the
vehicle body is a properly maintained engine exhaust
system.
WARNING!
• Do not leave children or animals inside parked vehicles in hot weather. Interior heat build-up may cause
serious injury or death.

• It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these
areas are more likely to be seriously injured or killed.

• Do not allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat belts.
• Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a seat belt properly.
WARNING!
Exhaust gases can injure or kill. They contain carbon
monoxide (CO), which is colorless and odorless.
Breathing it can make you unconscious and can
eventually poison you. To avoid breathing (CO), follow
these safety tips:
• Do not run the engine in a closed garage or in confined areas any longer than needed to move your vehicle in or
out of the area.
• If you are required to drive with the trunk/liftgate/rear doors open, make sure that all windows are closed and
the climate control BLOWER switch is set at high
speed. DO NOT use the recirculation mode.
• If it is necessary to sit in a parked vehicle with the engine running, adjust your heating or cooling controls
to force outside air into the vehicle. Set the blower at
high speed.